Circulation: Area of Clip: Page 1 of 5 RTE Guide Saturday, 29 March 2014 Page: 1,12,13,14,15 LISTINGS: MARCH 29-APRIL 4,2014 84018 315000mm² CATHERINE FULVIO'S EASYMOTHER'S DAYMENU • He's fourand ahalfmonths nowand he's CAN EASTENDERS BE GREAT AGAIN? BEHINDTHE SCENES ON MASTERCHEF i?-*< WKhagsti WAR HORSE f y COMESTO W SEAN BAN BREATHNACH 45YEARS BEHINDTHEMI Circulation: Area of Clip: Page 2 of 5 RTE Guide Saturday, 29 March 2014 Page: 1,12,13,14,15 COVERSTORY WATCHIT!Prime Time, Mon, Tues &Thurs, RTE One; ® LISTEN!Saturday with Claire Byrne & Morning Ireland, Mon-Fri, RTE Radio 1 -mm It'sbeensucha dramaticyearfor ClaireByrne,from engagementto motherhoodto new job,that shevery nearlyforgotherown Mother'sDay.Donal O'Donoghuemeets the broadcasterand orryGod”,says ClaireByrne,with a bashfullook heavenwards. The RTEjournalist, whohas spentthe morningbeingphotographedin variousoutfits,hasjust emergedfrom a churchin CountyLaois.Thatwas forher finalcostumechange.Claire was goingto attemptthewardrobe contortionsin her caruntilwe persuadedherthatit wasprobably bestto use the emptychurchand we’dstandguardat the door,just in case.So off shegoes,in andout in a jiffy,backinjeans andjumper, job done.That’sClaireB foryou:a countrygirlat heart,onceyou strip awaythe glossyshootsand shake the dustof celebrity.Rightnowshe is happyin love(engagedto Gerry 12 RTt GUIDE somewhatunlikelycareerpath. Scollan),joyous with motherhood (babyPatrick)and irresistibly The Byrnesare farmingstock, immersedin the worldof news. the familyhomejust off the M7 Wemet some hoursearlierat motorwayon the roadto MountrathGolf Clubjust outside It was therethatBredaandTom the CountyLaoistown.It’sunlikely Byrneraisedtheirsix children thatClaireor her motherBreda,who Maura,Fiona,Ann,Claire,Eileen arrivesshortlyafterher daughter,has andTommy.It was a country everswunga golf clubin theirlives. childhood.The Byrnebroodcycled “Unfortunatelythey’renot members”, to school,playedin the fieldsand saysclubpresident,CatherineScully. swamin the localriver.“I’msureit Butwe’rehere for the sceneryand was verydangeroustojump intoa it’simpressive:copsesof talltrees unscathedby the recentstormand fairwaysthat go on forever.In the distanceyou canjust aboutmake outthe spireof St Fintan’schurch in Mountrathbesidewhichis the BrigidineConvent(nowclosed) whereByrnewent to school.The journalistand broadcasterwas forged here,a brightyoungthingboundfor a 6 6 (Gerry)was loadingthe dishwasher and said,‘Willweget marriedso?!99 84018 315000mm² RTE Guide Saturday, 29 March 2014 Page: 1,12,13,14,15 Circulation: Area of Clip: Page 3 of 5 84018 315000mm² not surewhen.It willbe a small celebrationwithjust familyand close friends.We’rebothof the sameview and whenyou havea baby it makes the big hugefancycelebrationless important.The importantthing is that you’regoingto get married.” BeforePatrickwas bom,the couple decidedthatthey didn’twantto know the baby’sgender.Claire,however, was utterlyconvincedthat it would be a girlwithdarkhair.So a babyboy with fairfeaturescameintothe world, she was momentarilybewildered.“I had bothof us convincedthat we were goingto havethis littledark-haired girl”,she says.“I lay awakeonenight thinking‘I wonderhow darkthis baby is goingto be?’becauseGerryis very dark.Thenthisboy arriveswith hair that mightbe strawberryblondeand ' we’rein the deliveryroomlookingat him, wonderingwho is this person? So Patrickwas a reservenamebut it. worksreallywell.”(Claire’slateuncle was calledPatrick,as was Gerry’s grandfather). And she is obsessedwith her ‘dotin’, sayinghow greathe is andhow he’sa bit of a joker and all that.Whenwords fail her,sheproducesher phone.“This is a photographof Patrickfroma few daysago”,she says.“Andhere’s another.Somepeoplecallhim Paddy but I don’tmind.He’llbe called whateverhis schoolmatesdecide.He’s four-and-a-half monthsnow andhe’s the boss.”Thenthe otherboss appears, BredaByrne,the Mammy.Or as Claireput it recently,THE MAMMY, the womantheyall deferto for advice in timesof crisis.“I sometimesask my mother,‘whatwas I likeas a baby?”’ she says.“I’d ask, ‘WasI sleeping at night?’You’retryingto figureout said...” she pausesandlaughs.“I turnof events,not leastfor someone free-flowingriver”,saysClaireand whetheryourbabywas like you.” shouldn’treallytell youthis!I should whoreckonedmotherhoodwas not laughs.“Butwe wereallowedto use Breda,like allgoodmothers,is to be. “At 36,1just thought,‘lookit’s makeup a reallyromanticstory.Ah our commonsensea lotof times. keepingmum on suchmatters.Yep, not goingto happenandthat’sfine’”, well.He was loadingthe dishwasher Clairewas a brightchild(and quiet) I’d likefor Patrickto havethe type shesays.“Thenthingschangedpretty andsaid,‘Willwe get married of freedomthatI hadwhenI was but so wereall the otherchildren so?’AndI saidto him: ‘Areyou dramatically.” growingup, as opposedto being (one of whom,Ann,is within proposing?’He saidyes.AndI said, Indeed.ByrnefirstmetGerryon cosseted.Of course,I mightchange earshot).“Clairealwayshad an ‘yesI will!’Andthat was it.” December18,2011.Thatevening my opinionlateron!” interestin currentaffairsand it was ClaireB has a winningsmileand at O’Donoghue’s pub on Dublin’s Thingschange.Claireknowsthis what she alwayswantedto do”, she a naturalwarmth,but thereis a betterthanmost.In February2013,an MerrionRow,he askedfor a phone says.“It was strangeI suppose,but watchfulnesstoo, as if beingburnt numberand got an emailaddressfor RTEGuidecoverannouncedPrime she workedhard.Shedid a lot of Time’snew line-up:Pat Kennyflanked his troubles(theIT consultanthadn’t before,sheknowsthe score.Her debatingat schoolandwas goodat it.” marriageto radioexecutiveRichard a clueaboutByrne’spublicprofile). by stalwartPrime Timer,Miriam Interestingly, the mammyalsohad an Johnsonendedafterthreeyears,in the interestin politicsandcurrentaffairs. Byrne,whowasmarriedbefore, O’Callaghanandnewfull-timer, glareof the media,anda subsequent saysthat sheknewprettyquickly ClaireByrne.ThenPat departedfor “I alwayswas a fan of politicsand long-termrelationshipfizzledout thatthis couldbe MisterRightand NewstalkandMiriamwas saying, currentaffairslongbeforeClairegot acrimoniously. Now happiness latertheyappearedin glossysociety “there’snevera goodtimeto have involvedeven”,shesays.“Tomwould is her lot,as shinyas the antique magazine,VIP,as if to announceto babies:just havethemandgo with ask me sometimes,‘whyare you engagementring on her finger.Gerry the world- or at leastthe partthat is it”. Lessthantwo monthslater,in watchingthat?’but I loveit. I haveto pickedit. “We’lldo it at somestage, Ireland-shaped - that shehada new March,Byrnewouldbe engagedand havethe dailypaperandwatchall the man.In March2013,Gerryproposed. possiblyby the end of the year”, currentaffairsshows.Tomis more thatOctober,shewouldgivebirthto she saysof the wedding.“I’mjust her firstchild,Patrick.An unexpected “Hewas loadingthe dishwasherand into GAA.” RTEGUIDE 13 Circulation: Area of Clip: Page 4 of 5 RTE Guide Saturday, 29 March 2014 Page: 1,12,13,14,15 84018 315000mm² Claireand Gerry ClaireByrnemay haveneverreally plannedhercareer,as sheregularly claims,but shealwaysknewwhere shewasgoing.As a kid,shecutout TV-shaped holesin cardboardboxes andpretendedto presentthenews.At theageof 12,shereadGayByrne’s autobiography (she’sstilla bigfanof Byrne)andat schoolshewrotelettersto the Conradhna Gaeilgemagazine(first timein print)as wellas the editorsof theSundayTribuneand TheIrishTimes. Herfirstworkexperienceplacement, at theage of 14,waswiththeLeinster Expressbut she got seriouswhenshe swappedpoliticsandsocialscienceat UCD(shefeltthe coursewasoriented toomuchtowardssocialwork)to studyjournalismat DITin Rathmines. Fromthen her courseandcareerwas set. Byrneis undoubtedlysmartbut also,perhapscrucially,pragmatic(a traitthat she shareswithhermother). “Whenyou’rea womanworking in thejob that I do peoplethinkthat you’reveryambitiousandfightingfor thenextthing”,shesays.“ButI don’t seekto effectchange:thingsjustcome to me.”Maybe,butherworkethicis prodigiousandher focusunwavering. Afterjournalism,sheworkedin local radioin WicklowandthenforChannel 103FMin Jersey.In London,she clockedin forChannel5 andITVNews beforereturningto Irelandin 1999, whereshejoinedthenewlylaunched IrelandAMon TV3as a reporterand newsanchor.Whenshejumpedto Newstalk’sbreakfastshowfromTV3’s 5.30pmnewslot(boredwith“just readingthewords”),the stationpursued herto theHighCourtovertermsof contract. NowByrne,whooncesaidthat “televisionwasnevertheholygrail” has a footin bothradioandTV,with SaturdaywithClaireByrneand MorningIreland(bothRTERadio1) andPrimeTime(RTEOne).“I love beingacrossbothpartsof the dayand bothpartsof theorganisation”, says Circulation: Area of Clip: Page 5 of 5 RTE Guide Saturday, 29 March 2014 Page: 1,12,13,14,15 ^ 6 We’lldoit atsomestage,possibly by theendoftheyear.It willbea small celebration withjustfamily andclosefriends99 (onherwedding toGerry) thebroadcaster whowasbackat work tenweeksafterthebirthof Patrick. “Peoplealwaysaskmewhatmy dreamjob is andI stilldon’tknow whatthatis”,shesays.“I’mdoinga job thatI reallyenjoyrightnowand I lovethe variety.Whatdo I wantto do next?I don’tknow.”Yetshehas alwayspooh-poohed anysuggestion thatshemightultimatelycovetthe job of hostingTheLateLateShow. “TheLateLateShow",shesays,as if the verynameitselfwasflammable. “Everybodyassumesit’san ambition butit’snot an ambitionforme.” Thereis steelin Byrne’ssoul.Atthe timethatthe break-upof hermarriage wasmakingthenews,shewasalso battlingin the HighCourt,something thatshesayswaslesstraumaticthan it sounds.Therewerefurthertough times,withthetragicdeathof her step-daughter, Hannah,atthe ageof 19(Hannahhadbeentheflowergirl at herweddingandtheyremained closeafterthebreak-up).“I doubtthat there’sanybodywhogetsto my stage in lifewithoutbeingtouchedby some sortof sadness,whateverit mightbe”, shesays.“I don’tthinkthatI’vebeen througha particularly hardtimein comparisonto otherpeople.” ShequitTwitterlastyear,and althoughsheannouncedherpregnancy on Facebook,hasnotreturned,apart fromusingTwitterto promoteher Saturdayradioshow.“I wasseeking verification formyworkfrom strangerson Twitter”,shesays.“I wantedpeopleto tellmethatI had donea goodjob. SoI wouldgo on aftera show to seethe response.If it waspositiveI feltgoodgoing home.If there weretwoor threenegative commentsI feltbadgoing home.There werea couple of comments thatwerevery personal.So onedayI asked myself,‘Why am I invitingthesepeopleintomy life?’I workforpeoplewhowilltell me whetherI’mdoinga goodjob and willbe quickto tellmewhetherI’m doinga badjob. I don’tneedthis!’” Later,we headforByrne’schildhood hang-out,the villageof Castletown: picturepostcardbeautiful,fromrustic millto churningweir,andmurmuring withmemories.“Seethatbridgeover there?”saysClairepointingat a steel bridge.“Thatis whereI hada badfall frommy bikeandwasknockedout cold.WhenI wokeup someonewas standingoverme,askingwhetherI wasalright?Ofcourse,likeanyyoung one,Ijustjumpedup andsaidI was grand.”A fewmomentslater,sheis lookingintothe depthsof theriver Nore.“Meandmybrothernearly drownedin there”,shesays.“We decidedwe weregoingfora swim eventhoughwe couldn'tswim.”She laughsat the fearlessness andfollyof youth.“Yeah,I supposeI wasa bit of a tomboy”,shesays. Onceupona time,in oneof those ‘MyMoney’questionnaires, Claire Byrnesaidthatif shehadan unlimited supplyof moneyshe’dbuya villaby theseain Francewithno neighbours. Shestillhasthatdreambutpriorities haveshifted.“There’sno pointin havinga villaby theseaif youdon’t havethetimeto spendthere”,shesays. Fornowshe’shappybringingup baby andbeinga busybroadcaster. Would shelikea secondchild?“Hopefully, butwhenyouhavejust hadoneit’sthe lastthingyouwantto hearabout”,she laughs.Thingshavebeenhappeningso fastthatshe sometimes losestrack. Likethe factthatthis willbethis mother’s firstever Mother’s Day.“Isit?” Claireasks, hermouth a querulous ‘O’.“Oh I had forgotten aboutthat.” StyledbyRoxanneParker, roxanneparker.com Make-upbySheenaO'Brien Withthanksto Mountrath GolfClub Covershot. Clairewears: Blueblazer,€50,Rant&Rave, rantandrave.ie; Navypatterned blouse,€35,Rant&Rave;'Ally'navy jeggings,as before. Shot1(withhermother)Beige mac,€329,Tommy Hilfiger; Redsilk blouse,€ 99.90,Tommy Hilfiger; Navyopenknitjumper,€34.95,Rant &Rave,rantandrave.ie; Navy'Ally' jeggings,€ 99.90,Tommy Hilfiger; Boots,Claire'sown. Shot3: Clairewears: Redblazer,€50,Rant&Rave,www. rantandrave.ie; Navylongsleeved T-shirt, €34.95,Decollage, Kilkenny Shop;Silkredandnavyprintblouse €164.95,Nougat,Kilkenny Shop; Navy'Ally'jeggings, asbefore. 84018 315000mm²
© Copyright 2024 Paperzz